In New York it’s expensive, but not insane.
Between Manhattan and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport you have a few options. There’s the subway, the Air Train and Long Island Rail Road, Uber, a bus, or a yellow cab. For most lazy or privacy inclined travellers, Uber or a private car service typically wins. At roughly $50 or more, it’s not exactly cheap, and that’s not even factoring rush hour when car service can easily topple $150.
With car journeys ranging from 30 minutes to 300, there are so many variables at play and for those seeking a lot of thrill in one short 10 minute dose, there’s a new option. Blade is offering new $195 helicopter transfer options to anyone headed between Manhattan and JFK in either direction and if you have a tight schedule or a big expense budget, it may be your new best friend.
The Offer
Blade is arguably the most popular helicopter provider in New York, and they’re making a big play at JFK Airport. For $195 per person, you can grab a seat on a sleek chopper between West 30th Street in Manhattan and the helipad at JFK Airport, in either direction. There’s no restriction about which cabin or airline you need to be flying, so this is a cool thing anyone can do to spice up their NYC adventures.
The Schedule
The flights run daily during the working week with two flights per hour between 7AM-7PM. Watching the sun rise or set over Manhattan from a chopper before hitting the airport sounds like a dream, and considering these beautiful phenomenon usually coincide with rush hour, it may actually be better. Once on the ground at JFK, a car transfers you to your departure terminal. If you use the service from JFK, a car picks you up outside arrivals and whisks you “to the chopper”.
Yes, it was very hard resisting an Arnold Schwarzenegger emoji there.
Expensive, But Not Crazy
I’m a huge fan of the Air Train and LIRR combo, which costs $5 for an Air Train ticket and roughly $5 for an onward ticket from Jamaica Station to Penn Station in Manhattan. It’s a very viable option at all hours of the day, and at around $10-$12 it’s a bargain with virtually guaranteed transit time under an hour. On the other hand, Uber and other car services are extremely popular and rides can cost over $120 during rush hour. Paying $195 for a journey with fractional travel time and the added wow factor is highly tempting. I might just have to, at least once…
HT: One Mile At A Time.
